Machine for printing labels, tickets, placards and so forth



A. M. BESSAY Nov. 28, 1961 MACHINE FOR PRINTING LABELS, TICKETS, PLACARDS AND SO FORTH Filed Sept. 7, 1960 w MB NB m E L N V. u a m I United States Patent 3,010,388 MACHINE FOR PRINTING LABELS, TICKETS, PLACARDS AND SO FORTH Auguste Marcel Bessay, 144 Bis Rue du Montparnasse, Paris, France Filed Sept. 7, 1960, Ser. No. 54,495 Claims priority, application France Sept. 22, 1959 1 Claim. (Cl. 101103) There are different known arrangements for printing labels, tickets, placards, etc. containing movable types used in combination or individually, but these known arrangements have disadvantages.

In conventional type setting, the resulting appearance is excellent but much time is required for composing, constant care is needed during printing, and much time is again required to distribute the types after use.

impressing the types individually is far quicker but it is impossible to ensure accurate registering of the types, also their variable spacing according to their width. The use of a stencil plate or a stencil enables a particular text to be reproduced but much care and time are involved and furthermore the kind of type which can be used is restricted.

The machine of the present invention enables all kinds of type faces to be used since what is involved is their exact reproduction as in the case of conventional printing.

By way of example one embodiment of the invention is shown on the attached drawing.

FIG. 1 of the drawing shows the machine as seen from above in the working position (the letters N, O and R have been printed and D is ready for printing).

FIG. 2 represents a section in the plane aa of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows separately the disc carrying the types and incorporating a cover or lid with a central operating button.

FIG. 4 shows separately the supporting guide of the machine.

Essentially the machine comprises a disc 1 and a support 2. The disc, which is made of rubber or a partiallyfiexible plastic material, is equipped under the lower face with relief characters 3, arranged to ensure alignment and printing at the correct point of a character selected on the upper face of the disc to continue or complete a word already started or to start a new word.

The characters, letters, digits or symbols, occupying notches 4 in the periphery of the disc 1, are individually aligned in oblique or other positions, these notches permitting an accurately adjusted stop in conjunction with a stop 5 of the support 2. Contact between each notch 4 and the stop 5 of the support ensures the exact printing position desired. The notched disc 1 pivots on a centre 6 of the support 2 which suitably houses a removable inking pad 7 of circular shape.

The notched disc can be replaced by a notched roller or any other form producing the same result.

The disc 1 carries on its upper face characters 8 which can be read directly, while the types 3 are reversed (in relief) on the printing or lower face. Preferably these characters are similar and exactly correspond with the subjacent typm to provide a preliminary visual check before printing, the notching ensuring the correct positioning of the selected character.

Inking of the disc is obtained by applying the required Patented Nov. 28, 1961 ice letter to the inking pad 7, but this inking can also be effected by using any other inking pad.

The disc 1 is detachably mounted on a central component 9 forming a cover for the inking pad 7. The disc 1 and the cover 9 may also be made in one piece but it is preferable to have a separate cover able to contain discs differing in regard to the size of the types.

The cover 9 supporting the disc 1 is equipped with a central control button 10 enabling the disc-cover assembly to be rotated by the fingers of the right hand, the left hand continuing to guide the supporting base 2 against a suitable straight edge.

The support 2, permitting the exact positioning and ranging, constrains the disc 1 to impress a type character at the correct spot to provide a clear and Well aligned impression with the desired spacing. The said support 2 which serves for the exact pivoting of the moving disc 1, has a window 11 which enables a single character 3 to be printed by the pressure of a single finger applied to the upper face of the disc. I

The shape of the support enables the whole assembly to be slid along an ordinary straight edge, the sliding 7 being facilitated by projections 12.

The disc containing the relief characters on the printing face can be made of rubber or any other material, whether or not transparent elastic or semi-elastic; the support 2 holding the said disc can be made of metal or any other suitable material.

It should be noted that the characters on the disc 1 can only be put in contact with the paper to be printed by a pressure elastically bending the disc over the window of the support 2; thus no accidental inking of the paper can occur during the positioning of the disc on the support.

I claim:

In a machine suitable for printing separately leaflets, labels, placards and so forth, the combination of a supporting guide containing a central pivot, an inking pad in the said pivot, a movable disc made of a semi-elastic material centered on the said pivot by a coacting part forming the cover of the said pad and containing a central control button, reversed printing types on the periphery of the lower face of the said disc and identical legible characters for identification purposes on the periphery of the upper face, notches in the periphery of the disc, a Window in the supporting guide and placed against the circumference containing the printing types of the disc, the said window having dimensions corresponding to those of a single printed character, a stop on the said supporting guide to eoact with each notch on the disc and position above the said window a selected printing type on which the operator presses with one finger after the inking of the said type thus distorting the disc elastically and impressing the said character, and projections in the lower rectilinear part of the supporting guide to facilitate its sliding along a straight edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 495,135 Hess Apr. 11, 1893 1,111,429 Arrachart Sept. 22, 1914 1,373,545 Wiegman Apr. 5, 1921 2,450,656 Gowland Oct. 5, 1948 

